Skip to main content
fest

"Silk and spices" festival

"Silk and spices" festival

Spring is a good time to travel to Uzbekistan. At the moment there are several festivals taking place in Uzbek towns and villages. And one of these festivals is the "Silk and Spices" festival which usually takes place at the end of May.  It is the most colorful and fragrant event. During this festival, you will discover Uzbek customs and traditions. Several folk troupes arriving from different regions participate, as well as the designers of the traditional clothes, present their works. This travel takes you to the oriental tales, everywhere in the alleys artisans sell thin and shiny silk scarves, and potters create products covered with exquisite ornaments...    

7 DaysDiscovery toursUzbekistan

  • 2 people: $1,035

  • 4 people: $885

  • 6 people: $810

  • 8 people: $786

  • 10 people: $615

  • Starting from

    USD

    Download the program PDF

    Program

    
            Tashkent International airport - Tashkent
    Arrival in Tashkent, capital of Uzbekistan
    Tashkent International airport - Tashkent

    Arrival in Tashkent in the morning. Reception at the airport, transfer to a local restaurant for breakfast.
    Visit to the capital of Uzbekistan, located at the crossroads of caravan routes, connecting Europe and India.
    Panoramic tour through the Independence Perspective, Place de Théâtre Navoï and Square Amir Timour.
    Visit of the most beautiful metro stations, the first metro in Central Asia; each of its stations is different and has been decorated by the country's greatest artists.
    The Khast-Imam ensemble in the heart of old Tashkent: the Madrasa Barakhan, a magnificent 16th century monument and seat of the Grand Mufti of Central Asia. Continue to the Moyie Mubarek Library Museum and the Juma Mosque.
    Visit of the Tchorsu grand bazaar (except Monday) and the Kukeldach medersa (XVI century).
    Visit of the Museum of Applied Arts, the former palace of the tsar's diplomat transformed into a museum in 1938. We will discover a fine collection of embroidery, pottery, ceramics, woodcarvings, musical instruments and traditional jewelry.
    Night at the hotel.

    Breakfast Lunch Dinner
    16 km
    00:20
    03:00
    
            Tashkent - Samarkand
    Discovery of Samarkand
    Tashkent - Samarkand

    Transfer to the station at 06:00 on the Afrosiab train which departs at 07:00 and arrives at 09:14 (300 km). We start the tour in the city.  Samarkand is located in the valley of the river Zerafshan. It is the second largest city in Uzbekistan and is as old as the cities of Babylon or Rome. You will visit the Ulugh Beg Observatory, founded by Ulugh Beg in the 15th century, one of Samarkand’s most famous leaders and scientists. While working at the observatory, Ulugh Beg developed the “Ziji Guragoni” catalog in 1437, which contained information on 1018 celestial bodies. Unfortunately, he was killed at the behest of his own son. Afterwards, you can walk along the local Broadway and discover souvenir shops, tea rooms, sweets, and various workshops. You will also visit the Siab bazaar, where you can buy traditional Uzbek crafts and local sweets. Today you will also see the carpet factory, a unique hand-made carpet factory that employs over 400 women. They weave carpets by hand without using traditional methods.  Overnight at the hotel.

    Breakfast Lunch Dinner
    21:05
    
            Samarkand - Bukhara
    Continue your knowledge of the city of Samarkand
    Samarkand - Bukhara

    Today you will continue your knowledge of the city of Samarkand. You will visit the most famous sites of this city, such as Registan Square, the necropolis Shakhi Zinda, the mausoleum Gour-Emir and the mosque Bibi Khanoum. Régistan Square is a collection of three medersas that fascinate by their appearance, dating from the 15th-17th centuries. It is the main attraction of Samarkand, whose beauty and grandeur never cease to admire. The architectural complex of Shakhi Zinda is a collection of mausoleums from the 11th-15th centuries, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The Bibi Khanoum Mosque was built in honour of Tamerlan’s beloved wife after her successful campaign in India. Then the visit will continue in the city of Bukhara.

    Breakfast Lunch Dinner
    03:00
    
            Bukhara - Bukhara
    Day visit of Bukhara
    Bukhara - Bukhara

    Bukhara, one of the oldest cities of Central Asia, made famous by its former carpet market, city museum in the middle of the sands. Bukhara will delight you with the atmosphere of its old streets and its remarkable monuments that take us back to the medieval period and well before: mausoleum Ismail Samani (ninth-tenth centuries), Chashma Ayub mausoleum (XII-XIV century), the famous bazaar of Bukhara, together Bola Hauz (eighteenth century), Citadel Ark (I. -IVème centuries.). Lunch at a local restaurant in the modern city. Following the discovery; all Poi-Kalian (XV-XVI centuries) which consists of the Kalon mosque, Kalon minaret and madrasah Miri Arab. 

    Breakfast Lunch Dinner
    8 km
    04:00
    
            Bukhara - Bukhara
    The festival day
    Bukhara - Bukhara

    Today we have a unique opportunity to participate in the festival «Silk and spices». Within the framework of this festival, there are presentations of folk collectives from all over the country, popular games, different master classes and fashion presentations of young creators from Uzbekistan. Participants of the festival go through a noisy procession from the gates of the Ark fortress to the complex of Lyabi Khaouz, the heart of ancient Bukhara.

    Breakfast Lunch Dinner
    
            Bukhara - Tashkent
    Excursion around the outskirts of Bukhara, then a train ride to Tashkent
    Bukhara - Tashkent

    Today you will have an excursion around the outskirts of Bukhara. You will first visit the Baghaoddin Naqshbandi complex, located a few kilometres from Bukhara. It is a memorial complex of the famous Sufi chief and philosopher, one of the main centres of Muslim pilgrimage. Sheikh Baghaoddin Naqshbandi was one of Amir Timur’s spiritual masters. Today, the complex includes: Kushbegi and Muzafarokhan mosques; courtyard with swimming pool; madrasa; the tomb of the rulers of Bukhara and a dakhma on the tomb of Saint Baghaoddin Naqshbandi. After the visit, we will take you to Bukhara station, from where you will go to the city of Tashkent.

    Breakfast Lunch Dinner
    04:00
    
            Tashkent - Tashkent International airport
    Transfer to Tashkent International airport
    Tashkent - Tashkent International airport

    Transfer to Tashkent International Airport. Depending on your flight schedule, the guide will accompany you to the airport and help you check in for your flight. We hope you enjoyed your trip and invite you back to explore other Central Asian countries with us.

    Breakfast Lunch Dinner
    4 km
    00:20
    0 m
    0 m

    We arrived in Bishkek with no plans. We went to the Nomad's Land office and they were really helpful. They tailored a trip for us and the organisation was incredible. We got to do some horse trekking and some hiking with knowledgeable guides. We definitely recommend (100%!!). Greetings to all the team !

    Lea

    Dear Nomad's Land - especially Alex Johnson. You have helped us during preparation of our trip, arranging border zone permits, transportation to mountains, advise in arranging maps and also being a contact person in case of emergency. We had arranged most stuff over internet beforehand. It was generally very helpful and I would recommend to our friends Nomad's Land for tracking in Kyrgistan. And there is so much to see in that country yet. It would be great to visit Kyrgistan again. Thank you.

    Jan Kianicka

    On your way

    Tashkent UZ

    Tashkent is the capital and largest city of Uzbekistan. The officially registered population of the city in 2012 was about 2,309,300. Due to its position in Central Asia, Tashkent came under Sogdian and Turkic influence early in its history, before Islam in the 8th century AD. After its destruction by Genghis Khan in 1219, the city was rebuilt and profited from the Silk Road. In 1865 it was conquered by the Russian Empire, and in Soviet times witnessed major growth and demographic changes due to forced deportations from throughout the Soviet Union. Today, as the capital of an independent Uzbekistan, Tashkent retains a multi-ethnic population with ethnic Uzbeks as the majority.

    Bukhara UZ

    In the shade of mulberry trees, the city of Bukhara was an important stop on the Silk Road. A museum city that testifies to the rich past of Central Asia.

    Bukhara- Buqaraq of the sogdienwhich would mean "fortunate place" and Vihara in Sanskrit which means a Buddhist monastery. 

    It is a city in Uzbekistan, located in the south-central part of the country. It is located on the lower reaches of the Zarafshan River, in the middle of an oasis, on the eastern edge of the Kyzyl Kum desert. It was connected by caravan routes to Mervet to the valleys of the rivers Amu-Darya and Syr-Darya (Naryn)

    In the ninth century, the city becomes the capital of the Persian Samanid dynasty (875-999) and the appearance of the city is changed again: eleven access gates are observed, the "rabad" (suburb) extends around the inner part ("chakhristan"), the population increases significantly, professions determine the place of residence, many mausoleums and mosques are built (including the mausoleum of the Samanids)

    In 999, the city was invaded by the Qarakhanids. At that time, monuments, still visible today, were built: the minaret of Arslan-Khana (Kalian minaret), the mosque of Magoki-Attari, the mosque of Namezgokh, the mausoleum of Chashma-Ayub (the source of Job)

    Bukhara gave its name to the bougran, a strong canvas used in the lining of clothes, spelled boquerant by Marco Polo.

    Bukhara is also the generic name given to Turkmen carpets, the main trading center of which is the Ashgabat Bazaar. These carpets are subdivided into teke andyomouth, the names of the two main Turkmen tribal families. Their very typical style can be easily recognized because the decoration of the field consists of the repetition of the same decorative motif, the goul, emblem of the weaver tribe.

    The 140 monuments protected by UNESCO testify to the historical and cultural richness of this city.

    The Ark Citadel
    The Bolo Hauz Mosque
    The Magok-i-Attari Mosque
    The Po-i-Kalon complex
    The Koch madrasas etc

    Samarkand UZ

    Samarkand is famous for its surprisingly long history - it is one of the oldest cities in the world, founded 8 centuries BC. In the old days, this city was the most important point connecting East and West, and the Silk Road passed through Samarkand. Therefore, here, as nowhere else, a huge number of cultural and historical monuments have been preserved - such as mausoleums, museums, mosques, the ruins of ancient settlements and much more.

    Samarkand was proclaimed in 2001 by UNESCO crossroads of cultures and world heritage site.

    Info

    What is included

    • All transportation in a private vehicle

    • All airport transfers

    • Accommodation as described in the program

    • Meals (3 per day)

    • Bottled water & tea

    • English-speaking guide

    • All the activities listed in the program

    • Entry fees at national parks and/or border zones listed in the program

    • Entry fees at museums and historical sites listed in the program

    • Domestic flights mentioned in the program

    • A contribution to our sustainable development projects

    • Organisation of the trip & local taxes

    What is not included

    • International flights

    • International banking fees (PayPal, ...)

    • Travel & repatriation insurance

    • Visas / LOI (if applicable)

    • Alcoholic and soft drinks

    • Personal expenses

    • Additional costs due to unexpected personal events (health, loss of luggage, ...)

    • Tips for guide & driver (always optional, always appreciated)

    Ready to go?
    Book your tour today.

    May we help you?

    Our trip designers are at your disposal for building your dream! Feel free to contact us.

    Postal address

    Nezhinsky lane 27

    Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

    Phone number

    Looking for a taylor-made experience? Check our trip planner.

    Ecotourism projects

    Through various ecotourism projects and initiatives, Nomad's Land aims to increase awareness of ecotourism and responsible travel, for a sustainable development of the tourism sector.

    Join us on Facebook!

    And keep updated with our tour promotions, or follow us on